Planoqraph co



H. S. ATKINSON.

BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26. 1915- I Patented July 29, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Tm: COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON. B- c.

H. S. ATKINSON.

BUCKET. APPLICATION FILED MAY 26. 19'5- 2 SHEETSSHEET 2- Patented July 29, 1919.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT S. ATKINSON, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE HAYWARD COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

BUCKET.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT S. ATKIN- SON, a citizen of the United States, and residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckets, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to animprovement in excavating buckets, and while I have shown the same as applied to sheave-operated buckets of the clam shell type, I do not wish to be understood as limiting my invention to the precise form of bucket illustrated. I may say, however, that it has especial utility in those forms of bucket wherein the bowl sections have pivotal connection through connecting rods or otherwise, with the supporting head. With such constructions there is always more or less danger, when the bucket is lowered on to the material, if the material forms an uneven sur face, of the bucket tilting and the head and upper portions of the connecting rods being thrown out of their normal relative positions.

The object of my invention is to provide means movably connected to both the bucket-head and the connecting rods, whereby the relative movement of the connecting rods and head is controlled within certain definite limits, as well during the normal op erationof the bucket upon a substantially even surface, as when operated upon a more or less uneven bed of material. The buckethead is thereby not only prevented from tilting, being retained always in its normal operative position, but the connecting rods themselves, in operation,.'are caused to move substantially colncidently with each other, which also is desirable.

Another object of my invention is to provide means, for the purpose stated, which shall not interfere with the normal opera tive movement'of' the bucket parts, which is economical to manufacture and install in the bucket, and when installed, is so positioned as to be protected against hard usage, is itself strong and durable, and gives an additional feature of strength and durability to the bucket as a whole, since it forms a dependable safe-guard a ainst possible accident due to tilting of t e bucket hea'd Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 29, 1919.

Application filed May 26, 1915. 7 Serial No. 30,521.

which may cause it to topple over in distorted position.

These objects will be readily apparent from the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure 1 is aside elevation of a bucket embodying my control device;

Fig. 2 is a plan view, in part broken away;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail, with certain parts removed; and

Fig. 1 is an end view.

Referring to the construction illustrated, A, indicates, in whole, a clam-shell bucket, comprising a supporting head indicated in whole atB, a plurality of bowl sections indicated at C, D, which are pivotally connected to the'links E, the latter being in'turn pivotally connected to the head B.

The bucket illustrated is of the sheaveoperated type, being provided with a plurality of sheaves in the weighted. member F in the lower center and a" plurality {of sheaves in the upper center, or head B of the bucket. A closing line H passes through a rope thimble H, downwardly and around one of the outside sheaves in the lower center, upwardly and over the alining outer sheave in the upper center, thence downwardly and around the middle sheave in the lower center, thence upwardly and around the opposite outer sheave in the upper center, thence downwardly and around the other outer sheave in the lower center, and upwardly and through the other rope thimble H Around the central sheave in the upper center passes a holding rope H for supporting the bucket The bucket is opened by slackening off the closing line H, while holding taut the holding line, whereupon the weight F descends, opening the bowl sections. It is closed by hauling in on the closing rope H, drawing the upper and lower centers together.

To the foregoing described features per so I make no claim of invention as it is in general, now a well-known form of bucket.

As before stated, my invention, has to do more especially with the means for retain ing the bucket-head and connecting rods in their normal relative positions, which I will now proceed to describe.

The supporting head B comprises a casting, formed centrally with a sheave casing plurality of bosses J, J, J J to which are secured, by means of the pins K, the respective connecting rods E.

Also formed as a part of the supporting head 13, at each side thereof, and preferably integral with the bosses J, J, J J is an intermediate boss L.

Movably secured to the upper ends of the adjoining pairs of connecting rods E, at each side of the supporting head, a guide plate M. Thisplate is of substantially'inverted T shape, thetwolower legs of which M, M, projecthorizontally outwardly and are respectively provided with a slot M horizontally elongated, through which respective slots is passed a bolt N movably securing the legs M, M to the respective upper ends of the connecting rods E at the inner sidesthereof. At the upper end of the 7 middle leg 0, and also at the lower intermediate portion of the plate are provided respectively a plurality of slots 0 which are verticallyelongated, and through which, and into the boss L, are passed screw bolts P, movably securing the plate, at the points mentioned to the boss L ofthe supporting head B. It will be understood that in the normal operation of the bucket, when the bowl sections open and close, by means of the lowering and raising ofithe weight Fin the lower center, the connecting rods E have a limited oscillatin movement, from the pivotalconnections at the bucket head, and the oscillations are relatively slightas compared with the length of movement at the lower ends ofthe connecting rods; therefore the vertical andhorizontal slots in the guide plate M are not requiredtobe of any considerable extent. It will be understood that the shanks of the bolts securing together the upper ends of adjoiningpairs of connecting rods and the lower legs of the guide plate are looselymounted in'the slots ofthe guide plate, likewise the screw bolts securing the guide plate to the supporting-head. By referring to Fig. 33the operation ofthe guide plate will be made clear, in which figure is illustrated, in full lines, how the connecting rods, on the opening of'the bucket, have described a small arc of a circle intheir oscillating movement, the bolts N being carried to the outer end of the respectiveslots M and in this arcing movement raising the guide plate, so that the bolts'P rest in the lowermost portion of the respective slots 0 When the bucket is closing the connecting rods oscillate to the position indicated in dotted lines in said Fig. 3, during which movement the guide plate will be lowered in position, and the respectivebolts will occupy positions in the respective slots at the ends opposite to those the bolts are illustrated as occupying insaid figure.

be employed, one at each side of the supporting head, as indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

It will be apparent that my guide plates control, within definlte limits, the relative movements of adjoining pairs of connecting rods, and the movement relative thereto of the bucket head, causing adjoining pairs of connecting rods to move coincidently with each other, and also effectively preventing the tilting or abnormal movement of the bucket-head.

I desire it'to be understoodthat I do not confine myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement of the invention herein set forth, as modifications and variations may be made without departing from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims. i

What I claim is:

1. In airexcavating bucket,the combination with a plurality of oscillating connecting rods, and a supporting head, to which said connecting rods are pivotally connected, of a guide plate having a vertically slotted portion movably afiixed to the bucket-head and other portions horizontally slotted movably secured to an adjoining pair ofconnecting rods, whereby the relative movements of the connecting rods and supporting head are limited and controlled, said guide plate having no part in supporting said connecting rods or head. I

' 2. In an excavating 'bucket,-the combination with a plurality of oscillating connecting rods, and a supporting head, said head including at each side thereof, a plurality of spaced-apart bosses to which said connecting rods are pivotally connected, of a guide plate having a vertically slotted central portion movably affixed to the bucket-head between said bosses, and a horizontally slotted portion at each lower end thereof movably secured to an adjoining pair of connecting rods.

3. In an excavating bucket, the combination with a plurality of oscillating connecting rods and a supporting head to which said rods are pivotally connected, of means for controlling and limiting the relative movement of the head and connecting rods, said means comprising a plate having a plurality of vertical slots, and a plurality of horizontal slots and fastening means projecting through the first-named slots whereby the plate is movably connected to the bucket head, and fastening means projecting through the second named slots whereby said plate is movably connected to an adjoining pair of connecting rods.

4. In an excavating bucket, the combination with a plurality of oscillatingconnecting rods and a supporting head to which of vertical slots and fastening means whereby the plate is movably connected to the bucket-head, and a plurality of horizontal slots and fastening means whereby the plate is movably connected to adjoining pairs of connecting rods. 7

5. In an excavating bucket, the combination with a plurality of oscillating connecting rods and a supporting head to which said rods are pivotally connected, of a control member for limiting the relative movement of the head and connecting rods, comprising a plate adapted to fit operatively in perpendicular position between the connectting rods and the bucket head, and having a plurality of vertical slots and a plurality of horizontal slots, fastening members extending respectively through said vertical.

slots and movably connecting the plate to the bucket-head, and fastening members extending respectively through said horizontal slots and movably connecting said plate to adjoining pairs of connecting rods.

6. In an excavating bucket, the combination with a plurality of oscillating connecting-rods and a supporting head to which said rods are pivotally connected, of a guide' plate positioned adjacent the pivotal connection of said rods with said head, means connecting said guide plate to the supporting head with freedom for movement relative to the latter, and means connecting said plate to an adjoining pair of connecting rods movably relative thereto, whereby said guide plate limits and controls the rela tive movements of the connecting rods and bucket head, said guide plate having no part in supporting said connecting, rods or head.

7. In an excavating bucket, the combination with a plurality of oscillating connecting rods and a supporting bucket head to which said rods are pivotally connected, of a control member for said head and rods, comprising a guide plate having portions vertically and horizontally slotted, fastening members for securing said guide plate, through the vertically slotted portion to the bucket head, and fastening members securing said guide plate, through the horizontally slotted portion to an adjoining pair of connecting rods, near the pivotal connection of said rods with said head, whereby the movement of the head and connecting rod relatively to each other is limited and controlled.

8. In an excavating bucket, the combina tion with a plurality of oscillating connecting rods and a supporting bucket head to which said rods are pivotally connected, of means for controlling and limiting the relative movement of the head and connecting rods, said means comprising a plate having a vertically slotted portion and a horizontally slotted portion, means movably securing the vertically slotted portion to the bucket head, and means movably securing the horizontally slotted portion to an adjoining pair of connecting rods, near the pivotal connection of said rods with said head.

9. In an excavating bucket, the combination with a plurality of oscillating connecting rods and a supporting bucket head to which said rods are pivotally connected, of means for controlling and limiting the relative movement of the head and connecting rods, said means comprising a plate adapted to fit operatively between the connecting rods and the bucket-head, said plate being between the connecting rods and the bucket-- head, said plate having a plurality of armlike extremities, certain of said extremities being horizontally slotted, and pinned through said slots, movable relatively, to an adjoining pair of connecting rods, and

a portion of said plate intermediate said extremities being vertically slotted, and pinned through the vertical slots, movable relatively, to the bucket-head.

HERBERT S. ATKINSON. Witnesses:

FLonnNcn G. TUCKER, EUGENE S. MACDONALD.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

